Ogeechee Riverkeeper offers a virtual library of free educational resources for parents, teachers, and curious students. Education and Outreach Coordinator, Mel Sparrow, is a non-formal educator with 10 years of experience in environmental education, interpretive education, public outreach and archaeology.
Mel is a certified Project Wet, Wild and Learning Tree Facilitator and a certified Coastal Awareness and Responsible Ecotourism (CARE) Guide. She serves as the local coordinator for Georgia Adopt-a-Stream and leads chemical and bacterial trainings.
For more information about environmental education offerings or to set up educational outreach, email melanie@ogeecheeriverkeeper.org.
Activities
Alter your perspective on these changes by taking photos of the same plants each day. Watch how time passes when you review your images.
This year, ORK challenges everyone to make a pledge for the month of April and complete a service project that benefits the environment.
The frosted flatwoods salamander is unique in Georgia to the Ogeechee River basin and listed as federally threatened conservation status.
Using a guidebook or a citizen science app, walk through a patch of woods, and really take in all the smells, sights and sounds of the woods in the winter season.
This activity will show you how to use the scientific method to filter water.
Everyone can be environmental stewards and lead by example with responsible and ethical outdoor practices, especially when it comes to hunting and fishing.
Monarchs have just recently been listed as an Endangered Species. Read about the journey of a Monarch butterfly during its lifetime.
Seasonal allergies are a pain for humans but we also need that pollen to survive -- we all eat plants and animals that rely on pollinators. In this activity, we will keep our pollinators in mind by practicing being a landscape designer.
Join in our Basin Bird Bingo and get started birding in our watershed.
We are calling on YOU to celebrate Earth Day with us the entire month of April! Come up with creative, fun and effective ways to better your environment and celebrate the Earth.
Come up with your own definition of watershed using clear and descriptive words. The best definition of watershed will win some ORK swag!
Put on your creativity cap and tell us *why* you love water. Think outside the traditional Valentine’s celebrations. Use any platform, mixed media or words and share that love this year for Valentine’s Day and the month of February.
Do you find it hard to make and keep New Year’s resolutions? Try setting a “seasonal intention” instead! Use your creativity and science skills to come up with ways you can help the environment.
This holiday season, we challenge you to think "plastic-free." Get some ideas on how to reduce or completely remove plastic from the holiday gifts you give.
Share what things in nature you are thankful for with us during the month of November
During the month of October, you are challenged to add a different kind of trick-or-treating to your routine. Put together a team of no more than 10 people and compete to collect the most trash by October 31!
Go outside and find a tree in your backyard, school playground, community park, etc. Once you pick your tree, look at the different characteristics and identify your tree.
Teachers and educators can watch a free 45-minute-long Educational Version of the Kiss the Ground movie.
Fresh water is a finite resource. In addition to keeping our waterways clean, we also try to reduce water usage in general. Companies, businesses, and municipalities all have a responsibility to minimize their water consumption, but there are also a number of ways someone can conserve water in everyday ways.
Do you ever wonder what happens to the small trash from food or other product packaging after it has been thrown in the trash? Instead of throwing these things away, try reusing them -- or even dyeing some clothes.
VIDEO: Enjoy a gentle flow style yoga class with a watershed ecology theme alongside Melanie, our education & outreach coordinator.
VIDEO: Find a safe, calm body of water to sample using a net, light-colored bucket and clear cups. Scoop cups into buckets to identify macroinvertebrates and other aquatic life up close.
These writers turned to the outdoors for poetic inspiration. Read the winners from our first ORK poetry contest.
A watershed is a system of how water flows through an area moving sediment, water and dissolved materials into a common point. Submit your trivia answers to info@ogeecheeriverkeeper.org by July 31.
The seedling activity is open to all ages and is suitable for homeschool activity for K-12 using Georgia Performance Standards/Standards of Excellence with science, earth systems and meteorology.